thawed; thawing; thaws
1
a
: to go from a frozen to a liquid state : melt
b
: to become free of the effect (such as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth
2
: to be warm enough to melt ice and snow
—used with it in reference to the weather
3
: to abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility : unbend
4
: to become mobile, active, or susceptible to change
: to cause to thaw
1
: the action, fact, or process of thawing
2
: a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice
the January thaw
3
: the action or process of becoming less aloof, less hostile, or more genial
a thaw in international relations
Synonyms
Examples of thaw in a Sentence
Verb
Plant the seeds in early spring as soon as the ground thaws.
The sun will soon thaw the snow and ice.
The weather is beginning to thaw.
Our cold fingers and toes eventually thawed.
She held the coffee cup tightly, trying to thaw her frozen fingers.
Noun
flooding from the spring thaw
a thaw in international relations
Recent Examples on the Web
Kayla Keegan, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The housing market froze, and it’s only just begun to thaw.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
When winter’s chill was thawed by the blossoming of spring, our family would set off for the long drive from the Oxfordshire downs to our holiday house in Le Marche, central Italy.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
One reason: Meat trays dirtied before use The raw beef not only was thawing in a takeout bag, but, like raw chicken and raw pork, were thawing in the three-compartment sink instead of the refrigerator.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
Make sure to wrap well in plastic wrap before storing, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and decorating.
Make the frosting ahead: Prepare the frosting up to 2 days in advance.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
As those adorable little frogs thaw out from the winter and welcome in the spring, outdoor enthusiasts can finally begin to do the same.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
It can be used right out of the freezer or after just a few minutes of thawing on the counter.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
It’s designed as a warm womb, a place to thaw after dog sledding, snowmobiling, glacier hiking, and polar bear spotting.
—Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2024
Chloe Berger, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
More:This will almost certainly be the warmest winter ever in Wisconsin's recorded history
Walleye spawning is synced with the rest of the food web
Walleye spawn every year in the spring shortly after the ice thaws.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024
Their removal comes amid a thaw in China-Australia relations that’s seen Chinese authorities steadily roll back a number of those barriers including on barley, timber, and coal.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
The move — which follows a decision last week by the country’s top court to uphold the ban against her, as well as the jailing of some of her aides — would come as a surprise to many analysts following the thaw in relations, who had seen reversing the sanctions to be a severe response.
—Eric Martin, Bloomberg.com, 29 Jan. 2024
Generally, the top layer of this permafrost thaws out in the heat of summer, then freezes again in the winter.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the city’s premature end to street-sweeping season and a recent snowfall and polar vortex followed by a quick thaw, most curbs are filled with mounds of wet leaves and sticks, combined with mud and dog feces.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
The town of about 2,400 is home to Canada’s first gambling hall, museums and other colorful buildings — many of them tilting ominously as the permafrost thaws under their foundations.
—Fiona McGlynn, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
In San Francisco, a summit that signaled a thaw in relations with China ended with President Biden undiplomatically calling China's president a dictator.
—ABC News, 19 Nov. 2023
Verb
As part of Vault-Tec’s grand plan, Hank was cryogenically frozen in Vault 31 alongside other junior executives and later thawed to oversee the breeding of those in Vaults 32 and 33 for a new society.
—Kayla Keegan, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The housing market froze, and it’s only just begun to thaw.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
When winter’s chill was thawed by the blossoming of spring, our family would set off for the long drive from the Oxfordshire downs to our holiday house in Le Marche, central Italy.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
One reason: Meat trays dirtied before use The raw beef not only was thawing in a takeout bag, but, like raw chicken and raw pork, were thawing in the three-compartment sink instead of the refrigerator.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
Make sure to wrap well in plastic wrap before storing, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and decorating.
Make the frosting ahead: Prepare the frosting up to 2 days in advance.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
As those adorable little frogs thaw out from the winter and welcome in the spring, outdoor enthusiasts can finally begin to do the same.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
It can be used right out of the freezer or after just a few minutes of thawing on the counter.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
It’s designed as a warm womb, a place to thaw after dog sledding, snowmobiling, glacier hiking, and polar bear spotting.
—Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2024
Noun
Negotiations began months ago, on Feb. 13, and as winter thaws writers still are left without a contract.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
More:This will almost certainly be the warmest winter ever in Wisconsin's recorded history
Walleye spawning is synced with the rest of the food web
Walleye spawn every year in the spring shortly after the ice thaws.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024
Their removal comes amid a thaw in China-Australia relations that’s seen Chinese authorities steadily roll back a number of those barriers including on barley, timber, and coal.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
The move — which follows a decision last week by the country’s top court to uphold the ban against her, as well as the jailing of some of her aides — would come as a surprise to many analysts following the thaw in relations, who had seen reversing the sanctions to be a severe response.
—Eric Martin, Bloomberg.com, 29 Jan. 2024
Generally, the top layer of this permafrost thaws out in the heat of summer, then freezes again in the winter.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the city’s premature end to street-sweeping season and a recent snowfall and polar vortex followed by a quick thaw, most curbs are filled with mounds of wet leaves and sticks, combined with mud and dog feces.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
The town of about 2,400 is home to Canada’s first gambling hall, museums and other colorful buildings — many of them tilting ominously as the permafrost thaws under their foundations.
—Fiona McGlynn, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
In San Francisco, a summit that signaled a thaw in relations with China ended with President Biden undiplomatically calling China's president a dictator.
—ABC News, 19 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Thaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thaw. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thaw
1 of 2 verb1
: to melt or cause to melt
ice on the pond is thawing
2
: to become free of the effects of cold temperatures by being exposed to warmth
frozen foods thawed before cooking
thaw
2 of 2 noun1
: the action, fact, or process of thawing
2
: a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice and snow
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